Is the Audi R8 a good investment?

The thesis

The first-gen R8 V10 with gated six-speed manual is a rare beast – fewer than 15% of ~24,000 Gen 1 R8s were manuals, and manual V10s rarer still. The 5.2L naturally aspirated V10 (shared DNA with Lamborghini Gallardo) delivers 525bhp. Gen 2 dropped the manual entirely, making Gen 1 the last. Current UK values £55–85k for good manual V10 examples. As the last accessible, everyday-usable supercar with a gated shifter and NA V10, it's poised to appreciate as Gen 2 values firm and manuals become extinct.